Product Description

The goal of the game is to build the most successful Underground lines and in doing so gain the most points. You can gain points by connecting your lines to various destinations on the board, and by having the passenger use your lines to travel from station to station. The player who has best balanced the demands by the time that the deck of destinations is exhausted will be declared the winner.

Product Information

Language Requirements:
Game components are language-independent.
Manufacturer's rules are printed in multiple languages (including English).
This is an international edition or domestic edition of an imported item.

Contents:

1 game board

1 passenger pawn

4 destination pawns

10 scoring markers

8 connection markers

21 branch tokens

1 start player marker

33 normal destination cards

22 express destination cards

190 track lengths

rules (English, German)

Product Reviews

Why stick with the historical London Underground? Build it
with the same stations, but different routes! This is a
perplexing game, which is more fun if you are familiar with
the real London Underground. The game is almost perfectly
balanced as most outcomes have all players within 5 points.
Most all points on the board will be reached by the
passenger, thereby evening out the game.

There are problems, however. The game takes about 30
minutes per player, so a 5 player game will be 2.5 hours.
The balance means that all strategies seem equally likely,
and the order of the passenger therefore controls the
outcome. A good memory of where the passenger has been
is helpful. Since there is limited variety in start position, I
can imagine that repeated play leads to consistent moves by
player turn order.

One suggestion for added variety is to deal out 3-5
destinations per player and give each player points for
including those in the route structure. This reduces the
length of the game but adds more randomness.

Does the world really need another “train” game that involves laying track and
transporting passengers? After all, we are awash in 18xx games, crayon rails and
even the Ticket to Ride series. Would On the Underground from designer Sebastian
Bleasdale offer anything unique or different? Fortunately, it does, proving that
there is still wiggle room within a crowded genre.

The large map depicts the London Underground, and players are charged with the task
of constructing track segments between the dozens of connection stations. Players
alternate constructing up to four segments of track, then moving the passenger to
his desired destinations. Points are earned for making connections to and linking
certain stations, as well as having the passenger traverse your routes.

Depending upon the number participating, players each have track of two or three
different colors, each with a finite number of track segments. When constructing
lines, placement must follow traditional track-laying rules, with a line being
extended from either end once it is begun. Branches are only allowed by the play of
two branch tokens, which are gained either by foregoing the construction of track or
building a track to a terminus. A player may begin his additional lines at new
locations, but only by using different colored tracks.

If a player connects to one of the national rail stations, the player immediately
earns a victory point. Connecting to a terminus earns two victory points and a
branch token, while forming a loop with one line earns one point for each station
enclosed within, but not on the loop itself. Further, three points are earned when
a player links two matching tokens, of which eight are scattered about the board.

As in Ticket to Ride, some connection stations can be connected by multiple lines,
but many allow only one line. This causes numerous “choke-points”, and the game can
be quite aggressive as it is possible to thwart opponents’ plans by blocking their
intended routes.

After a player constructs track, the passenger will move. Each turn, four
destination cards – each listing a specific station – are visible. Certain stations
are “express” stations (gold in color). If an “express” destination card is
visible, the passenger must travel to that station first, before heading to a normal
station. When traveling, the passenger will follow two main preferences:

1)He will head to the station that requires him to walk the least. “Walking”
is required when there are no constructed tracks along a particular route. The lazy
passenger will gladly ride a long, circuitous route if it means he doesn’t have to
walk much.

2) If there are several destinations that meet the above criteria, the
passenger will select the route that requires the least transfers. He is much
happier to select routes that allow him to relax instead of switching lines. So, if
he can travel to a destination using 2 different lines as opposed to three, he will
gladly take it … even if it is longer.

When the passenger moves, one point is earned for the player owning each route he
traverses, no matter the length of the route. Upon reaching his destination, the
matching card is discarded. If the station was an express station, the passenger
continues his journey, traveling to one of the “normal” destinations. If there were
no express stations visible, he will only travel to one of the normal destinations.
Some have expressed concerns that this can cause some unfair situations wherein some
players have the opportunity to move the passenger twice on their turn, while others
can only move him once. These are valid concerns, but I’ve not tracked whether this
has ultimately made a difference in the final scores in the games I’ve played.

The game concludes when the healthy supply of destination card expires. At this
point, the passenger is immediately removed from the board, and every player who has
not yet had a turn that round is allowed to build track, tallying any further points
scored. The player with the most points is king of the underground and wins the
game.

While the game bears many similarities to other train games, there are enough
variations here to give it a different feel. The manner in which the passenger
moves appears unique, and makes for some interesting decisions. There are numerous
ways in which to earn immediate victory points when constructing track. Further,
there is the constant temptation to construct track over which the passenger will
travel that turn. All of these options must be weighted against the long-term
necessity of constructing networks which will likely be used repeatedly during the
course of the game.

There are some concerns. In addition to the possible disparity caused by the random
appearance of the express destination cards, the timing of the end game can cause
some players to have their final turn relegated to simply constructing track, with
no opportunity to move the passenger. When playing with a full compliment of five
players, the game does lose a degree of control, and there can be some downtime
between turns. Fortunately, none of these are significant enough to be game-
killers, but are simply minor annoyances.

On the Underground is yet another strong entry into the track-building genre. It is
easy enough learn to be accessible for casual gamers and family, but contains enough
strategy and tactical options to make it attractive to gamers. Like Ticket to Ride,
it is equally adept at satisfying numerous audiences and venues, which alone makes
it a valuable addition to my collection. The fact that it is fun and challenging
only enhances its value.

Other Resources for On the Underground:

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